Sperm donor with cancer-causing gene conceived almost 200 children
- A small number of British women received sperm from a donor carrying a cancer-causing gene while undergoing fertility treatment in Denmark.
- The donor possesses a genetic mutation of the TP53 gene, which significantly increases the risk of developing cancer by up to 90 per cent before the age of 60, a condition known as Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
- This donor has fathered at least 197 children across Europe, with the affected British women having been informed by the Danish clinics where they received treatment.
- The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) confirmed the sperm was not distributed to licensed UK clinics, as the treatment occurred abroad.
- The donor had passed initial screening tests, and the genetic mutation was not detected preventatively, highlighting differences in donor regulations between countries, such as the UK's 10-family limit.